Prada Candy L'Eau Eau de Toilette review

          It's no secret that I'm sweet on Prada perfumes. I've waxed poetic on quite a few here on Cute and Mundane; their simple elegant ethos never fails to delight! You can imagine how delighted I was to receive a beautiful Prada Candy L'Eau gift set ($92), complete with 2.7 oz. Eau de Toilette, 2.5 oz. body lotion, and pink clutch, courtesy of Prada Parfums.

         Prada Candy L'Eau Eau de Toilette is a brand new variation on the classic caramel of Prada Candy (reviewed here). The original Prada Candy is a fantastic gourmand, with drips of decadent caramel and the zingy wood of benzoin, combining to create an unusual liqueur-like sweetness tucked away at the center. As the beautiful blush pink packaging suggests, Prada Candy L'Eau is a softer, more wearable variation of the original Candy, bolstered by sparkling citrus and sweet florals.

Notes : Italian citruses, sweet pea, caramel, benzoin, white musk

         Prada Candy L'Eau exudes the sparkling warmth of sweet caramel alongside hints of citrus and flowers. The perfume opens with the tempered zest of a nondescript citrus. It's not a burst and fade; a sliver of citrus adds a soft zest throughout. In a few moments, I encounter caramel, the main undercurrent throughout the entire scent; a light touch of benzoin sends its smoky wooden tendrils through the sugary base. (The effect is reminiscent of the caramelized shell of a fire-roasted marshmallow). Within this delicious, amorphous concoction, sweet pea adds a mid-range velvety floral feel. Initially I was skeptical to see how this floral would perform in the perfume, but found that sweet pea's dewy sweetness (that I'm quite fond of) meshes well with the sugary caramel base. (Brilliant!) Over time, the caramel warms, as if softening on my skin - and a very noticeable musk smooths out the base.

         Now, to the important question : how does Prada Candy L'Eau compare with the original Prada Candy? After giving it some thought, I'd have to say they're quite analogous in construction. Prada Candy cuts to the chase with a warmer caramel and more complex threads of benzoin; the result is a richer, more caramelized feel, complete with liqueur-like sweetness tucked at the center. Prada Candy L'Eau shares the caramel and benzoin infrastructure. However these pure elements are tempered, relying on slivers of citrus to replace the acridity of benzoin, and sweet pea to add a low-cal sweetness in the stead of more caramel. The feel of Prada Candy L'Eau is similar to Prada Candy, just a bit more airy.

Blush pink and black packaging? Prada knows me too well...

           I find Prada Candy L'Eau to be an unabashedly sweet, yet chic, perfume. It's an indulgent caramel musk, with hints of freshness that impart a sense of joie de vivre. Overall, I'd say Prada Candy L'Eau is a more daytime / office friendly version of Prada Candy, and definitely worth a try if you're a fan of the original perfume (and its beautiful blush pink packaging!)

          Thanks for reading! Have you tried Prada Candy or Candy L'Eau? What are your favorite Prada Parfums? What wintry gourmands have you been wearing this season?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. If you love Prada perfumes like me, check out my reviews of Prada Infusion d' Iris (my personal favorite), Luna Rossa, and L'Eau Ambrée.
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.